Minority Health Perspective

Substance Abuse... 

Public Enemy Number One 

Editorial by Nathan Stinson, Jr., PhD, MD, MPH,


Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health, Office of Minority Health


Closing the Gap, Substance Abuse Prevention:What’s Working to Keep Our Youth Drug Free?


June/July 2001


Thirty years ago, the nation declared drug abuse to be 

“public enemy number one.” With that declaration, 

the fight began to rid our community of the ills brought on 

by addiction. Today, the “war on drugs” rages on. According to the 

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, substance abuse remains the number one health problem in this country. Federal spending on the drug 

war increased from $1.65 billion in 1982 to $17.7 billion in 1999, 

yet heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and other illicit drugs continue to be 

providers, and other entities to foster the development of comprehensive, culturally appropriate, prevention programs and systems. These 

systems are based on sound research, and target both individuals and 

the environments in which they live. 

Strategies We Can Use 

These strategies and tools have helped us win significant battles. 

widely available. Today, there are more drugs 

in our communities, and they are available at 

lower prices and higher strengths than ever 

before. 

Signs of Progress 

We are far from eradicating drug usage, 

but in some areas we are making strides. Drug 

abuse has taken a disproportionate toll on 

minorities and the poor, but rates of current 

illicit drug and alcohol use among minorities 

It is imperative


that we continue


to build on the advances that


we’ve made today, 

to ensure a drug free nation 

tomorrow. 

Substance abuse prevention programs have 

been successful not only in reducing drug use, 

but in enhancing parent-child communication on how to avoid and refuse alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs. They have been successful in reducing truancy, delinquency, and 

school dropouts. They have been successful 

in strengthening relationships among police, 

schools, and related organizations. We must 

continue to expand these programs, and we 

must continue to expand the availability of 

effective treatment and recovery services for 

are down. Tobacco use is on the decline. Public awareness about the 

dangers of substance abuse is up. Prevention and treatment strategies 

are increasingly effective. 

We may continually debate the effectiveness of prevention and 

treatment versus drug enforcement—but we know that both are necessary to lessen the impact substance abuse has on our communities 

and families. We have shown that science-based substance abuse 

prevention programs can be successful in loosening the stranglehold 

that drug abuse has on our communities. 

In this issue of Closing the Gap, we profile prevention strategies, 

programs, and resources supported by the federal Substance Abuse 

and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance 

Abuse Prevention (CSAP). They can be modeled and implemented 

in a wide variety of settings—reaching a variety of audiences. Their 

sponsor, CSAP, collaborates with states, communities, social service 

alcohol and drug problems—ensuring access to clinically sound, costeffective, addiction treatment that, in turn, reduces the health and 

social costs to our communities and the nation. 

No one—regardless of race, creed or color—is immune to substance abuse and its harmful effects. OMH and its partners in public 

health and public safety share a common vision—developing healthy 

communities. It is imperative that we continue to build on the advances that we’ve made today, to ensure a drug free nation tomorrow. 

For minority health information, call our Office of Minority Health 

Resource Center at 1-800-444-6472; http://www.omhrc.gov. For additional information on the substance abuse prevention strategies and resources profiled here, contact the CSAP at 301-443-0071; http:// 

www.samhsa.gov/centers/csap/csap.html or SAMHSA’s information gateway, the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at 

800-729-6686 or go to http://www.health.org

Office of Minority Health Resource Center U.S. Department of Health and Human Services